Self-freeing ice tray



July 18, 1933- s. E. ANDERSSON SELF FREEING ICE TRAY Filed May 6, 1951 hunllllllln, lu I. @611 IN VEN TOR. Sven wiflndersson A TTORNE Y Patented July 18, 1933' UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcr.

SVEN W. E. ANDERSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y ASSIGNOR '10 SERVEL, INC., 01 YORK, N. Y A CORPORATION O! DELAWARE SELF-FREEZING ICE TRAY Application flied Kay 6, 1981. Serial No. 535,868.

This invention relates to trays adapted to be inserted in evaporators or cooling elements of household mechanical refrigerators for containing foods and desserts to be congealed or water and other liquids to be frozen.

The front plates or tray fronts of certain types of ice trays served as closures for the front of the ice tray compartment, thereby preventing diffusion and heat exchange between the cold air in the compartment and the warmer air in the refrigerator; as handles for the trays; and as finishing members for the front of the evaporators.

Considerable difl'culty and annoyance have been encountered in the removal of ice trays from evaporators or, chilling units due to the formation of ice bonds due to freezing moisture between the trays and their supporting shelves. An effort has been made to overcome this difiiculty by cutting out a small portion along the bottom edge of each tray front to permit the insertion of a thin flat tool such as the blade of a knife or the like between the shelf and the bottom of the tray. This method is not entirely satisfactory and it is therefore an ob; ject of the present invention to provide an ice tray front having the three characteristics above mentioned and in addition means for breaking the tray loose when frozen to its support.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation illustrating one application of the invention;

Fig. 2, a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a bottom plan view of the front portion of the tray;

Fig. 4, a fragmentary section similar to Fi 2 showing the device after operation;

Fig. 5, a front elevation, partly broken away, of a modified form;

Fig. 6, a fragmentary longitudinal section of the embodiment of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 a fragmentary bottom plan ,view of the front portion of the tra of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 8,'a view similar to ig. 6, after the front has been 0 erated to break the tray away from the s elf.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawing, an evaporator or chilling unit 10 of an ordinary household mechanical refrigerating unit is supported in a cabinet 11. The evaporator 10 is provided with shelves 24 upon which are supported ice trays 13 having fronts 14 secured thereto by bolts or rectly connected. In order to provide means for freeing the tray from the shelf 24, or breaking the bond of ice between the tray and the shelf, a freeing element 17 is provided. This freeing element, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4, is stamped from a single piece 0 of metal and comprises an upstanding body portion adapted to fit between the end of the tray and the tray front, and a horizontal portion which projects beneath the tray. The freeing element is preferably formed of spring metal and has its body bent outwardly at 18 to provide suflicient space, between the finger, grip in the tray front and the freeing member, for the accommodation of the fingers of a person gras ing the tray. The horizontall or rearwar y extending portion of the reeing member is also provided with one or more corrugations 19 in the tip of the extension, thus providing a wedge which may be inserted between the tray and shelf by the flexing action of the tray front and t e spring metal separating member. To increase the amount that the front may be tilted or pivoted in regard to the tray, the spaced ears 16 may be rounded pressure applied against the lower portioli 95.

of the tray front will flex the'same and force the rearwardly projecting wedge member beneath the tray and between the tray and the shelf and break the tray loose from 1 the shelf.

Referring to Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive of the drawing, a slightly modified tray 23 has the metal at its front end extended forwardly, downwardly and rearwardly, where it is connected to the tray in any desired manner and forms a rigid support for a tray front 25. Braces 26 may be added for the purpose of re-enforcement and such braces may be formed integrally with the downwardly extending portion of the extended tray, from the metal of the cut-out portion 27. The cut-out 27 accommodates a portion of the tray front when the same is flexed.

The tray front 25 is provided with a pair of spaced vertical slots 28, which ermit a certain amount of flexibility of the lower portion of the front between the slots. The lower extremity of this flexible portion between the slots is extended rearwardly at 29 and has secured thereto, by'rivets 30 or other desired fastening means, ahandleforming wedge member 31 having a blade portion distance beneath the bottom of the tray. The sides of the handle wedge extend through the slots 28 in the tray front and are bent outwardly at 33 in parallel relation to the tray front and serve to prevent the handle from being separated from the front when the handle is grasped in pulling the tray from the evaporator. The cut-out portion 27 not only permits flexing of the lower portion of the tray front between the slots, but also limits the rearward movement of such flexible portion relative to the tray. The bottom of the handle member 31 is preferably provided with apertures 35 to permit the escape of moisture.

Since the member 31 is attached to this flexible portion of the tray front, pressure applied against the member 31 by striking the same with a sharp blow will force the blade portion 32 beneath thetray and between the tray and shelf and break the tray loose from the shelf. To facilitate the breaking loose of the tray from its supporting shelf the blade or wedge member may be provided with one or more corrugations 34.

While the rearwardly projecting blades or wedge members 17 and 32 are illustrated as cut away at each rear side edge to provide a pointed portion t e rear edges need not be cut away at the sides and the contact between the blades of the trays will then be substantially a straight line.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the 32 projecting rearwardly a slight art that various other changes may be made in the construction and arran ement without departing from the spirit 0% the invention and therefore the invention is not limited to what is shown in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with an ice tray adapted to be supported in heat exchan e relation with a cooling element, of a hamfie for said tray, and a wedge associated with said handle in a manner such that it is insertable between the tray and its support responsive to the force exerted on the handle.

2. In combination with an ice tray, a tray front secured at one end of the tray, and a separating member secured between the tray and tray front and comprising a stamped metal late having a blade projecting beneath t 1e tra and adapted to move relative to the tray w en the tray front is flexed.

3. In combination with an ice tray, a tray front having a flexible portion, and a wedge member carried by said flexible portion and operable for breaking the tray away from a support.

4. In combination with an ice tray, a tray front having a flexible portion, and a wedge member carried by said flexible portion and movable beneath the tray for breaking the tray awa from a support.

5. An ice tray adapted to be supported in heat exchange relation with a cooling element, a handle grip flexibly carried at the front end of the tray, and a rearwardly extending separating blade attached to the handle and movable longitudinally between the tray and the support upon the corresponding operation of the flexibly supported handle grip.

6. An ice tray adapted to rest on a support, a loosening member insertable horizontally between the tray and the support for breaking them apart, and a member serving as a handle for the tray and as actuating means for the horizontally insertable loosening member.

7. An ice tray adapted to rest on a support, a loosening member insertable horizontally between the tray and the support for breaking them apart, and a member serving as a handle for the tray and as actuating means for the horizontally insertable loosening member responsive to the force applied thereto.

SVEN W. E. ANDERSSON. 

